Automatic provisioning of network components

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that enable automatic provisioning of access points within an enterprise network by a controller of the enterprise network. In one aspect, a method includes detecting, at a network controller, attachment of a first access point to a network; identifying, by the network controller, a profile of a second access point, the second access point having being replaced with the first access point, the profile including at least one of identification parameters and configuration parameters of the second access point; and provisioning, by the network controller, the first access point with the profile of the second access point.

RELATED APPLICATIONS DATA

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/769,459 filed on Nov. 19, 2018, the entire content of which isincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter of this disclosure relates in general to the field ofcomputer networking, and more particularly, to systems and methods forautomatic provisioning of network components.

BACKGROUND

Currently, it is time-consuming and labor intensive to provisionnewly-added network components of a network. For example, when an oldaccess point within a network is replaced with a new one, a networkoperator needs to call a service provisioning call center, replace theold access point with a new one while on the call, wait for aconfirmation of attachment of the new access point from an operator atthe service provisioning call center and apply the necessaryconfigurations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

To provide a more complete understanding of the present disclosure andfeatures and advantages thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a physical topology of an enterprisenetwork in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a logical architecture for anenterprise network in accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 3A-3I illustrate examples of graphical user interfaces for anetwork management system in accordance with one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates an interconnection of access points, switches andcontrollers within an enterprise network in accordance with one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example method of automatic provisioning of accesspoints in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate examples of systems in accordance with oneaspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various example embodiments of the disclosure are discussed in detailbelow. While specific implementations are discussed, it should beunderstood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A personskilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components andconfigurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope ofthe disclosure. Thus, the following description and drawings areillustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specificdetails are described to provide a thorough understanding of thedisclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventionaldetails are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description.References to one or an embodiment in the present disclosure can bereferences to the same embodiment or any embodiment; and, suchreferences mean at least one of the embodiments.

Reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Theappearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in thespecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment,nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of otherembodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may beexhibited by some embodiments and not by others.

Without intent to limit the scope of the disclosure, examples ofinstruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according tothe embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note thattitles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of areader, which in no way should limit the scope of the disclosure. Unlessotherwise defined, technical and scientific terms used herein have themeaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art towhich this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, the presentdocument, including definitions will control.

Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forthin the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or can be learned by practice of the herein disclosedprinciples. The features and advantages of the disclosure can berealized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinationsparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and otherfeatures of the disclosure will become more fully apparent from thefollowing description and appended claims, or can be learned by thepractice of the principles set forth herein.

The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description ofvarious configurations of embodiments and is not intended to representthe only configurations in which the subject matter of this disclosurecan be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein andconstitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed descriptionincludes specific details for the purpose of providing a more thoroughunderstanding of the subject matter of this disclosure. However, it willbe clear and apparent that the subject matter of this disclosure is notlimited to the specific details set forth herein and may be practicedwithout these details. In some instances, structures and components areshown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts ofthe subject matter of this disclosure.

OVERVIEW

There are numerous costs associated with maintaining and upgrading anenterprise network. One such cost is associated with replacing oldcomponents such as an access point with new components for variousreasons such as malfunctioning of the old access points, etc. In thecontext of replacing an old access point with a new one, the new accesspoint is not configured globally within the enterprise network.Therefore, a technician, at the site of the old access point, needs tocontact an operator at the operation center of a service provider (incharge of operating the enterprise network) and while in contact withthe operation center, needs to (1) substitute/replace the old accesspoint with the new one and (2) wait for the operator to detect theattachment of the new access point to the network and apply theconfigurations of the old access point to the new access point. Thishuman interaction between a technician and an operator translates intooperational costs for the service provider, which can be eliminated.

Various examples described in the present application are directed toeliminating such operational costs by enabling automatic provisioning ofnewly installed access points within the enterprise network. Thisautomatic provisioning process includes pushing configurations andprofile of the old access points to the Dynamic Network AccessController (DNAC) of the enterprise network. The DNAC, upon detecting anattachment of a new access point and associating the new access pointwith the same access interface of the replaced old access point, canautomatically push the configurations and profile of the old accesspoint to the new access point, which in turn eliminates the costly andlabor intensive method of installing and provisioning new access pointsused today, as discussed above.

In one aspect, a method includes detecting, at a network controller,attachment of a first access point to a network; identifying, by thenetwork controller, a profile of a second access point, the secondaccess point having being replaced with the first access point, theprofile including at least one of identification parameters andconfiguration parameters of the second access point; and provisioning,by the network controller, the first access point with the profile ofthe second access point.

In one aspect, a controller includes memory having computer-readableinstructions stored therein and one or more processors. The one or moreprocessors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructionsto detect attachment of a first access point to a network; identify aprofile of a second access point, the second access point having beingreplaced with the first access point, the profile including at least oneof identification parameters and configuration parameters of the secondaccess point; and provision the first access point with the profile ofthe second access point.

In one aspect, one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediainclude computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one ormore processors, cause the one or more processors to detect attachmentof a first access point to a network; identify a profile of a secondaccess point, the second access point having being replaced with thefirst access point, the profile including at least one of identificationparameters and configuration parameters of the second access point; andprovision the first access point with the profile of the second accesspoint.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

As noted above, the process of replacing, installing and provisioningnew access points in an enterprise network is time-consuming and laborintensive. For example, when an old access point within a network isreplaced with a new one, a network operator needs to call a serviceprovisioning call center, replace the old access point with a new onewhile on the call, wait for a confirmation of attachment of the newaccess point from an operator at the service provisioning call centerand apply the necessary configurations. The present disclosure isdirected to describing examples of a process to automate theprovisioning process and thus eliminating some of the time consuming andlabor intensive aspects of the above process. Before describing theprocess through examples, some examples of the physical and logicalarchitectures of an enterprise network and various examples of userinterfaces utilized for management of such enterprise network will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A-I.

The concepts of the present disclosure may be implemented in acontrolled network of access points in a campus network that providenetwork connectivity to client devices connected thereto. Such networkof access points may be managed by a network controller (e.g., a DynamicNetwork Access Controller (DNAC), a Wireless Local Area NetworkController (WLC), etc., examples of which will be described below.

Intent-based networking is an approach for overcoming the deficienciesof conventional enterprise networks. The motivation of intent-basednetworking is to enable a user to describe in plain language what he orshe wants to accomplish (e.g., the user's intent) and have the networktranslate the user's objective into configuration and policy changesthat are automatically propagated across a complex and heterogeneouscomputing environment. Thus, an intent-based network can abstractnetwork complexity, automate much of the work of provisioning andmanaging the network typically handled by a network administrator, andassure secure operation and optimal performance of the network. As anintent-based network becomes aware of the users, devices, and thingsmaking connections in the network, it can automatically apply securitypermissions and service levels in accordance with the privileges andquality of experience (QoE) assigned to the users, devices, and things.Table 1 sets forth examples of intents and workflows that can beautomated by an intent-based network to achieve a desired outcome.

TABLE 1 Examples of Intents and Associated Workflows Intent Workflow Ineed to scale out my Extend network segments; update load balancerconfiguration; application database configure quality of service (QoS) Ihave scheduled a Create high-definition (HD) video connection;prioritize with telemedicine session at 10am end-to-end QoS; validateperformance; keep the communication safe; tear down connection aftercall I am rolling out a new IoT Create a new segment for all factorydevices to connect to the app for factory equipment IoT app; isolatefrom other traffic; apply service level agreement monitoring (SLA);validate SLA; optimize traffic flow I need to deploy a secure Provisionmultiple networks and subnets; configure access multi-tier applicationcontrol lists (ACLs) and firewall rules; advertise routing information

Some additional examples of use cases of an intent-based network:

-   -   An intent-based network can learn the performance needs of        applications and services and adapt the network from end-to-end        to achieve specified service levels;    -   Instead of sending technicians to every office, floor, building,        or branch, an intent-based network can discover and identify        devices and things as they connect, assign security and        micro-segmentation profiles according to established policies,        and continuously monitor access point performance to        automatically adjust for QoE;    -   Users can move freely among network segments, mobile device in        hand, and automatically connect with the correct security and        access privileges;    -   Switches, routers, and other network devices can be powered up        by local non-technical office personnel, and the network devices        can be configured remotely (by a user or by the network) via a        cloud management console with the appropriate policies as        defined by the intents for the specific location (e.g.,        permanent employee access, visiting employee access, guest        access, etc.); and    -   Machine learning and artificial intelligence agents running in        the network can continuously monitor and analyze network traffic        and connections, compare activity against pre-defined intents        such as application performance or security policies, detect        malware intrusions in encrypted traffic and automatically        isolate infected devices, and provide a historical record of        network events for analysis and troubleshooting.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a physical topology of an enterprisenetwork 100 for providing intent-based networking. It should beunderstood that, for the enterprise network 100 and any networkdiscussed herein, there can be additional or fewer nodes, devices,links, networks, or components in similar or alternative configurations.Example embodiments with different numbers and/or types of endpoints,nodes, cloud components, servers, software components, devices, virtualor physical resources, configurations, topologies, services, appliances,or deployments are also contemplated herein. Further, the enterprisenetwork 100 can include any number or type of resources, which can beaccessed and utilized by endpoints or network devices. The illustrationsand examples provided herein are for clarity and simplicity.

In this example, the enterprise network 100 includes a management cloud102 and a network fabric 120. Although shown as an external network orcloud to the network fabric 120 in this example, the management cloud102 may alternatively or additionally reside on the premises of anorganization or in a colocation center (in addition to being hosted by acloud provider or similar environment). The management cloud 102 canprovide a central management plane for building and operating thenetwork fabric 120. The management cloud 102 can be responsible forforwarding configuration and policy distribution, as well as devicemanagement and analytics. The management cloud 102 can comprise one ormore network controller appliances 104, one or more authentication,authorization, and accounting (AAA) appliances 106, one or more wirelesslocal area network controllers (WLCs) 108, and one or more fabriccontrol plane nodes 110. In other embodiments, one or more elements ofthe management cloud 102 may be co-located with the network fabric 120.

The network controller appliance(s) 104 can function as the command andcontrol system for one or more network fabrics, and can house automatedworkflows for deploying and managing the network fabric(s). The networkcontroller appliance(s) 104 can include automation, design, policy,provisioning, and assurance capabilities, among others, as discussedfurther below with respect to FIG. 2. In some embodiments, one or moreCisco Digital Network Architecture (Cisco DNA™) appliances can operateas the network controller appliance(s) 104.

The AAA appliance(s) 106 can control access to computing resources,facilitate enforcement of network policies, audit usage, and provideinformation necessary to bill for services. The AAA appliance caninteract with the network controller appliance(s) 104 and with databasesand directories containing information for users, devices, things,policies, billing, and similar information to provide authentication,authorization, and accounting services. In some embodiments, the AAAappliance(s) 106 can utilize Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service(RADIUS) or Diameter to communicate with devices and applications. Insome embodiments, one or more Cisco® Identity Services Engine (ISE)appliances can operate as the AAA appliance(s) 106.

The WLC(s) 108 can support fabric-enabled access points attached to thenetwork fabric 120, handling traditional tasks associated with a WLC aswell as interactions with the fabric control plane for wireless endpointregistration and roaming. In some embodiments, the network fabric 120can implement a wireless deployment that moves data-plane termination(e.g., VXLAN) from a centralized location (e.g., with previous overlayControl and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) deployments)to an access point/fabric edge node. This can enable distributedforwarding and distributed policy application for wireless traffic whileretaining the benefits of centralized provisioning and administration.In some embodiments, one or more Cisco® Wireless Controllers, Cisco®Wireless LAN, and/or other Cisco DNA™-ready wireless controllers canoperate as the WLC(s) 108.

The network fabric 120 can comprise fabric border nodes 122A and 122B(collectively, 122), fabric intermediate nodes 124A-D (collectively,124), and fabric edge nodes 126A-F (collectively, 126). Although thefabric control plane node(s) 110 are shown to be external to the networkfabric 120 in this example, in other embodiments, the fabric controlplane node(s) 110 may be co-located with the network fabric 120. Inembodiments where the fabric control plane node(s) 110 are co-locatedwith the network fabric 120, the fabric control plane node(s) 110 maycomprise a dedicated node or set of nodes or the functionality of thefabric control node(s) 110 may be implemented by the fabric border nodes122.

The fabric control plane node(s) 110 can serve as a central database fortracking all users, devices, and things as they attach to the networkfabric 120 and as they roam around. The fabric control plane node(s) 110can allow network infrastructure (e.g., switches, routers, WLCs, etc.)to query the database to determine the locations of users, devices, andthings attached to the fabric instead of using a flood and learnmechanism. In this manner, the fabric control plane node(s) 110 canoperate as a single source of truth about where every endpoint attachedto the network fabric 120 is located at any point in time. In additionto tracking specific endpoints (e.g., /32 address for IPv4, /128 addressfor IPv6, etc.), the fabric control plane node(s) 110 can also tracklarger summarized routers (e.g., IP/mask). This flexibility can help insummarization across fabric sites and improve overall scalability.

The fabric border nodes 122 can connect the network fabric 120 totraditional Layer 3 networks (e.g., non-fabric networks) or to differentfabric sites. The fabric border nodes 122 can also translate context(e.g., user, device, or thing mapping and identity) from one fabric siteto another fabric site or to a traditional network. When theencapsulation is the same across different fabric sites, the translationof fabric context is generally mapped 1:1. The fabric border nodes 122can also exchange reachability and policy information with fabriccontrol plane nodes of different fabric sites. The fabric border nodes122 also provide border functions for internal networks and externalnetworks. Internal borders can advertise a defined set of known subnets,such as those leading to a group of branch sites or to a data center.External borders, on the other hand, can advertise unknown destinations(e.g., to the Internet similar in operation to the function of a defaultroute).

The fabric intermediate nodes 124 can operate as pure Layer 3 forwardersthat connect the fabric border nodes 122 to the fabric edge nodes 126and provide the Layer 3 underlay for fabric overlay traffic.

The fabric edge nodes 126 can connect endpoints to the network fabric120 and can encapsulate/decapsulate and forward traffic from theseendpoints to and from the network fabric. The fabric edge nodes 126 mayoperate at the perimeter of the network fabric 120 and can be the firstpoints for attachment of users, devices, and things and theimplementation of policy. In some embodiments, the network fabric 120can also include fabric extended nodes (not shown) for attachingdownstream non-fabric Layer 2 network devices to the network fabric 120and thereby extend the network fabric. For example, extended nodes canbe small switches (e.g., compact switch, industrial Ethernet switch,building automation switch, etc.) which connect to the fabric edge nodesvia Layer 2. Devices or things connected to the fabric extended nodescan use the fabric edge nodes 126 for communication to outside subnets.

In this example, the network fabric can represent a single fabric sitedeployment which can be differentiated from a multi-site fabricdeployment.

In some embodiments, all subnets hosted in a fabric site can beprovisioned across every fabric edge node 126 in that fabric site. Forexample, if the subnet 10.10.10.0/24 is provisioned in a given fabricsite, this subnet may be defined across all of the fabric edge nodes 126in that fabric site, and endpoints located in that subnet can be placedon any fabric edge node 126 in that fabric. This can simplify IP addressmanagement and allow deployment of fewer but larger subnets. In someembodiments, one or more Cisco® Catalyst switches, Cisco Nexus®switches, Cisco Meraki® MS switches, Cisco® Integrated Services Routers(ISRs), Cisco® Aggregation Services Routers (ASRs), Cisco® EnterpriseNetwork Compute Systems (ENCS), Cisco® Cloud Service Virtual Routers(CSRvs), Cisco Integrated Services Virtual Routers (ISRvs), CiscoMeraki® MX appliances, and/or other Cisco DNA-Ready™ devices can operateas the fabric nodes 122, 124, and 126.

The enterprise network 100 can also include wired endpoints 130A, 130C,130D, and 130F and wireless endpoints 130B and 130E (collectively, 130).The wired endpoints 130A, 130C, 130D, and 130F can connect by wire tofabric edge nodes 126A, 126C, 126D, and 126F, respectively, and thewireless endpoints 130B and 130E can connect wirelessly to wirelessaccess points 128B and 128E (collectively, 128), respectively, which inturn can connect by wire to fabric edge nodes 126B and 126E,respectively. In some embodiments, Cisco Aironet® access points, CiscoMeraki® MR access points, and/or other Cisco DNA™-ready access pointscan operate as the wireless access points 128.

The endpoints 130 can include general purpose computing devices (e.g.,servers, workstations, desktop computers, etc.), mobile computingdevices (e.g., laptops, tablets, mobile phones, etc.), wearable devices(e.g., watches, glasses or other head-mounted displays (HMDs), eardevices, etc.), and so forth. The endpoints 130 can also includeInternet of Things (IoT) devices or equipment, such as agriculturalequipment (e.g., livestock tracking and management systems, wateringdevices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), etc.); connected cars andother vehicles; smart home sensors and devices (e.g., alarm systems,security cameras, lighting, appliances, media players, HVAC equipment,utility meters, windows, automatic doors, door bells, locks, etc.);office equipment (e.g., desktop phones, copiers, fax machines, etc.);healthcare devices (e.g., pacemakers, biometric sensors, medicalequipment, etc.); industrial equipment (e.g., robots, factory machinery,construction equipment, industrial sensors, etc.); retail equipment(e.g., vending machines, point of sale (POS) devices, Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) tags, etc.); smart city devices (e.g., streetlamps, parking meters, waste management sensors, etc.); transportationand logistical equipment (e.g., turnstiles, rental car trackers,navigational devices, inventory monitors, etc.); and so forth.

In some embodiments, the network fabric 120 can support wired andwireless access as part of a single integrated infrastructure such thatconnectivity, mobility, and policy enforcement behavior are similar orthe same for both wired and wireless endpoints. This can bring a unifiedexperience for users, devices, and things that is independent of theaccess media.

In integrated wired and wireless deployments, control plane integrationcan be achieved with the WLC(s) 108 notifying the fabric control planenode(s) 110 of joins, roams, and disconnects by the wireless endpoints130 such that the fabric control plane node(s) can have connectivityinformation about both wired and wireless endpoints in the networkfabric 120 and can serve as the single source of truth for endpointsconnected to the network fabric. For data plane integration, the WLC(s)108 can instruct the fabric wireless access points 128 to form a VXLANoverlay tunnel to their adjacent fabric edge nodes 126. The AP VXLANtunnel can carry segmentation and policy information to and from thefabric edge nodes 126, allowing connectivity and functionality identicalor similar to that of a wired endpoint. When the wireless endpoints 130join the network fabric 120 via the fabric wireless access points 128,the WLC(s) 108 can onboard the endpoints into the network fabric 120 andinform the fabric control plane node(s) 110 of the endpoints' MediaAccess Control (MAC) addresses. The WLC(s) 108 can then instruct thefabric wireless access points 128 to form VXLAN overlay tunnels to theadjacent fabric edge nodes 126. Next, the wireless endpoints 130 canobtain IP addresses for themselves via Dynamic Host ConfigurationProtocol (DHCP). Once that completes, the fabric edge nodes 126 canregister the IP addresses of the wireless endpoint 130 to the fabriccontrol plane node(s) 110 to form a mapping between the endpoints' MACand IP addresses, and traffic to and from the wireless endpoints 130 canbegin to flow.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a logical architecture 200 for anenterprise network (e.g., the enterprise network 100). One of ordinaryskill in the art will understand that, for the logical architecture 200and any system discussed in the present disclosure, there can beadditional or fewer component in similar or alternative configurations.The illustrations and examples provided in the present disclosure arefor conciseness and clarity. Other embodiments may include differentnumbers and/or types of elements but one of ordinary skill the art willappreciate that such variations do not depart from the scope of thepresent disclosure. In this example, the logical architecture 200includes a management layer 202, a controller layer 220, a network layer230 (such as embodied by the network fabric 120), a physical layer 240(such as embodied by the various elements of FIG. 1), and a sharedservices layer 250.

The management layer 202 can abstract the complexities and dependenciesof other layers and provide a user with tools and workflows to manage anenterprise network (e.g., the enterprise network 100). The managementlayer 202 can include a user interface 204, design functions 206, policyfunctions 208, provisioning functions 210, assurance functions 212,platform functions 214, and base automation functions 216. The userinterface 204 can provide a user a single point to manage and automatethe network. The user interface 204 can be implemented within a webapplication/web server accessible by a web browser and/or anapplication/application server accessible by a desktop application, amobile app, a shell program or other command line interface (CLI), anApplication Programming Interface (e.g., restful state transfer (REST),Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Service Oriented Architecture(SOA), etc.), and/or other suitable interface in which the user canconfigure network infrastructure, devices, and things that arecloud-managed; provide user preferences; specify policies, enter data;review statistics; configure interactions or operations; and so forth.The user interface 204 may also provide visibility information, such asviews of a network, network infrastructure, computing devices, andthings. For example, the user interface 204 can provide a view of thestatus or conditions of the network, the operations taking place,services, performance, a topology or layout, protocols implemented,running processes, errors, notifications, alerts, network structure,ongoing communications, data analysis, and so forth.

The design functions 206 can include tools and workflows for managingsite profiles, maps and floor plans, network settings, and IP addressmanagement, among others. The policy functions 208 can include tools andworkflows for defining and managing network policies. The provisioningfunctions 210 can include tools and workflows for deploying the network.The assurance functions 212 can use machine learning and analytics toprovide end-to-end visibility of the network by learning from thenetwork infrastructure, endpoints, and other contextual sources ofinformation. The platform functions 214 can include tools and workflowsfor integrating the network management system with other technologies.The base automation functions 216 can include tools and workflows tosupport the policy functions 208, the provisioning functions 210, theassurance functions 212, and the platform functions 214.

In some embodiments, the design functions 206, the policy functions 208,the provisioning functions 210, the assurance functions 212, theplatform functions 214, and the base automation functions 216 can beimplemented as microservices in which respective software functions areimplemented in multiple containers communicating with each rather thanamalgamating all tools and workflows into a single software binary. Eachof the design functions 206, policy functions 208, provisioningfunctions 210, assurance functions 212, and platform functions 214 canbe viewed as a set of related automation microservices to cover thedesign, policy authoring, provisioning, assurance, and cross-platformintegration phases of the network lifecycle. The base automationfunctions 214 can support the top-level functions by allowing users toperform certain network-wide tasks.

FIGS. 3A-3I illustrate examples of graphical user interfaces forimplementing the user interface 204. Although FIGS. 3A-3I show thegraphical user interfaces as comprising webpages displayed in a browserexecuting on a large form-factor general purpose computing device (e.g.,server, workstation, desktop, laptop, etc.), the principles disclosed inthe present disclosure are widely applicable to client devices of otherform factors, including tablet computers, smart phones, wearabledevices, or other small form-factor general purpose computing devices;televisions; set top boxes; IoT devices; and other electronic devicescapable of connecting to a network and including input/output componentsto enable a user to interact with a network management system. One ofordinary skill will also understand that the graphical user interfacesof FIGS. 3A-3I are but one example of a user interface for managing anetwork. Other embodiments may include a fewer number or a greaternumber of elements.

FIG. 3A illustrates a graphical user interface 300A, which is an exampleof a landing screen or a home screen of the user interface 204. Thegraphical user interface 300A can include user interface elements forselecting the design functions 206, the policy functions 208, theprovisioning functions 210, the assurance functions 212, and theplatform functions 214. The graphical user interface 300A also includesuser interface elements for selecting the base automation functions 216.In this example, the base automation functions 216 include:

-   -   A network discovery tool 302 for automating the discovery of        existing network elements to populate into inventory;    -   An inventory management tool 304 for managing the set of        physical and virtual network elements;    -   A topology tool 306 for visualizing the physical topology of        network elements;    -   An image repository tool 308 for managing software images for        network elements;    -   A command runner tool 310 for diagnosing one or more network        elements based on a CLI;    -   A license manager tool 312 for administering visualizing        software license usage in the network;    -   A template editor tool 314 for creating and authoring CLI        templates associated with network elements in a design profile;    -   A network PnP tool 316 for supporting the automated        configuration of network elements;    -   A telemetry tool 318 for designing a telemetry profile and        applying the telemetry profile to network elements; and    -   A data set and reports tool 320 for accessing various data sets,        scheduling data extracts, and generating reports in multiple        formats (e.g., Post Document Format (PDF), comma-separate values        (CSV), Tableau, etc.), such as an inventory data report, a        software image management (SWIM) server report, and a client        data report, among others.

FIG. 3B illustrates a graphical user interface 300B, an example of alanding screen for the design functions 206. The graphical userinterface 300B can include user interface elements for various tools andworkflows for logically defining an enterprise network. In this example,the design tools and workflows include:

-   -   A network hierarchy tool 322 for setting up the geographic        location, building, and floor plane details, and associating        these with a unique site id;    -   A network settings tool 324 for setting up network servers        (e.g., Domain Name System (DNS), DHCP, AAA, etc.), device        credentials, IP address pools, service provider profiles (e.g.,        QoS classes for a WAN provider), and wireless settings;    -   An image management tool 326 for managing software images and/or        maintenance updates, setting version compliance, and downloading        and deploying images;    -   A network profiles tool 328 for defining LAN, WAN, and WLAN        connection profiles (including Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs));        and    -   An authentication template tool 330 for defining modes of        authentication (e.g., closed authentication, Easy Connect, open        authentication, etc.).

The output of the design workflow 206 can include a hierarchical set ofunique site identifiers that define the global and forwardingconfiguration parameters of the various sites of the network. Theprovisioning functions 210 may use the site identifiers to deploy thenetwork.

FIG. 3C illustrates a graphical user interface 300C, an example of alanding screen for the policy functions 208. The graphical userinterface 300C can include various tools and workflows for definingnetwork policies. In this example, the policy design tools and workflowsinclude:

-   -   A policy dashboard 332 for viewing virtual networks, group-based        access control policies, IP-based access control policies,        traffic copy policies, scalable groups, and IP network groups.        The policy dashboard 332 can also show the number of policies        that have failed to deploy. The policy dashboard 332 can provide        a list of policies and the following information about each        policy: policy name, policy type, policy version (e.g.,        iteration of policy which can be incremented each time the        policy changes, user who has modified the policy, description,        policy scope (e.g., user and device groups or applications that        the policy affects), and timestamp;    -   A group-based access control policies tool 334 for managing        group-based access controls or SGACLs. A group-based access        control policy can define scalable groups and an access contract        (e.g., rules that make up the access control policies, such as        permit or deny when traffic matches on the policy);    -   An IP-based access control policies tool 336 for managing        IP-based access control policies. An IP-based access control can        define an IP network group (e.g., IP subnets that share same        access control requirements) and an access contract;    -   An application policies tool 338 for configuring QoS for        application traffic. An application policy can define        application sets (e.g., sets of applications that with similar        network traffic needs) and a site scope (e.g., the site to which        an application policy is defined);    -   A traffic copy policies tool 340 for setting up an Encapsulated        Remote Switched Port Analyzer (ERSPAN) configuration such that        network traffic flow between two entities is copied to a        specified destination for monitoring or troubleshooting. A        traffic copy policy can define the source and destination of the        traffic flow to copy and a traffic copy contract that specifies        the device and interface where the copy of traffic is sent; and    -   A virtual network policies tool 343 for segmenting the physical        network into multiple logical networks.

The output of the policy workflow 208 can include a set of virtualnetworks, security groups, and access and traffic policies that definethe policy configuration parameters of the various sites of the network.The provisioning functions 210 may use the virtual networks, groups, andpolicies for deployment in the network.

FIG. 3D illustrates a graphical user interface 300D, an example of alanding screen for the provisioning functions 210. The graphical userinterface 300D can include various tools and workflows for deploying thenetwork. In this example, the provisioning tools and workflows include:

-   -   A device provisioning tool 344 for assigning devices to the        inventory and deploying the required settings and policies, and        adding devices to sites; and    -   A fabric provisioning tool 346 for creating fabric domains and        adding devices to the fabric.

The output of the provisioning workflow 210 can include the deploymentof the network underlay and fabric overlay, as well as policies (definedin the policy workflow 208).

FIG. 3E illustrates a graphical user interface 300E, an example of alanding screen for the assurance functions 212. The graphical userinterface 300E can include various tools and workflows for managing thenetwork. In this example, the assurance tools and workflows include:

-   -   A health overview tool 344 for providing a global view of the        enterprise network, including network infrastructure devices and        endpoints. The user interface element (e.g., drop-down menu, a        dialog box, etc.) associated with the health overview tool 344        can also be toggled to switch to additional or alternative        views, such as a view of the health of network infrastructure        devices alone, a view of the health of all wired and wireless        clients, and a view of the health of applications running in the        network as discussed further below with respect to FIGS. 3F-3H;    -   An assurance dashboard tool 346 for managing and creating custom        dashboards;    -   An issues tool 348 for displaying and troubleshooting network        issues; and    -   A sensor management tool 350 for managing sensor-driven tests.

The graphical user interface 300E can also include a location selectionuser interface element 352, a time period selection user interfaceelement 354, and a view type user interface element 356. The locationselection user interface element 354 can enable a user to view theoverall health of specific sites (e.g., as defined via the networkhierarchy tool 322) and/or network domains (e.g., LAN, WLAN, WAN, datacenter, etc.). The time period selection user interface element 356 canenable display of the overall health of the network over specific timeperiods (e.g., last 3 hours, last 24 hours, last 7 days, custom, etc.).The view type user interface element 355 can enable a user to togglebetween a geographical map view of the sites of the network (not shown)or a hierarchical site/building view (as shown).

Within the hierarchical site/building view, rows can represent thenetwork hierarchy (e.g. sites and buildings as defined by the networkhierarchy tool 322); column 358 can indicate the number of healthyclients as a percentage; column 360 can indicate the health of wirelessclients by a score (e.g., 1-10), color and/or descriptor (e.g., red orcritical associated with a health score 1 to 3 indicating the clientshave critical issues, orange or warning associated with a health scoreof 4 to 7 indicating warnings for the clients, green or no errors orwarnings associated with a health score of 8 to 10, grey or no dataavailable associated with a health score of null or 0), or otherindicator; column 362 can indicate the health of wired clients by score,color, descriptor, and so forth; column 364 can include user interfaceelements for drilling down to the health of the clients associated witha hierarchical site/building; column 366 can indicate the number ofhealthy network infrastructure devices as a percentage; column 368 canindicate the health of access switches by score, color, descriptor, andso forth; column 370 can indicate the health of core switches by score,color, descriptor, and so forth; column 372 can indicate the health ofdistribution switches by score, color, descriptor, and so forth; column374 can indicate the health of routers by score, color, descriptor, andso forth; column 376 can indicate the health of WLCs by score, color,descriptor, and so forth; column 378 can indicate the health of othernetwork infrastructure devices by score, color, descriptor, and soforth; and column 380 can include user interface elements for drillingdown to the health of the network infrastructure devices associated witha hierarchical site/building. In other embodiments, client devices maybe grouped in other ways besides wired or wireless, such as by devicetype (e.g., desktop, laptop, mobile phone, IoT device or more specifictype of IoT device, etc.), manufacturer, model, operating system, and soforth. Likewise, network infrastructure devices can also be groupedalong these and other ways in additional embodiments.

The graphical user interface 300E can also include an overall healthsummary user interface element (e.g., a view, pane, tile, card,container, widget, dashlet, etc.) that includes a client health summaryuser interface element 384 indicating the number of healthy clients as apercentage, a color coded trend chart 386 indicating that percentageover a specific time period (e.g., as selected by the time periodselection user interface element 354), a user interface element 388breaking down the number of healthy clients as a percentage by clienttype (e.g., wireless, wired), a network infrastructure health summaryuser interface element 390 indicating the number of health networkinfrastructure devices as a percentage, a color coded trend chart 392indicating that percentage over a specific time period, and a userinterface element 394 breaking down the number of network infrastructuredevices as a percentage by network infrastructure device type (e.g.,core switch, access switch, distribution switch, etc.).

The graphical user interface 300E can also include an issues userinterface element 396 listing issues, if any, that must be addressed.Issues can be sorted based on timestamp, severity, location, devicetype, and so forth. Each issue may be selected to drill down to view amore detailed view of the selected issue.

FIG. 3F illustrates a graphical user interface 300F, an example of ascreen for an overview of the health of network infrastructure devicesalone, which may be navigated to, for instance, by toggling the healthoverview tool 344. The graphical user interface 300F can include atimeline slider 398 for selecting a more granular time range than a timeperiod selection user interface element (e.g., the time period selectionuser interface element 354). The graphical user interface 300F can alsoinclude similar information to that shown in the graphical userinterface 300E, such as a user interface element comprising ahierarchical site/building view and/or geographical map view similar tothat of the graphical user interface 300E (except providing informationonly for network infrastructure devices) (not shown here), the number ofhealthy network infrastructure devices as a percentage 390, the colorcoded trend charts 392 indicating that percentage by device type, thebreakdown of the number of healthy network infrastructure devices bydevice type 394, and so forth. In addition, the graphical user interface300F can display a view of the health of network infrastructure devicesby network topology (not shown). This view can be interactive, such asby enabling a user to zoom in or out, pan left or right, or rotate thetopology (e.g., by 90 degrees).

In this example, the graphical user interface 300F also includes a colorcoded trend chart 3002 showing the performance of the networkinfrastructure devices over a specific time period; network health bydevice type tabs including a system health chart 3004 providing systemmonitoring metrics (e.g., CPU utilization, memory utilization,temperature, etc.), a data plane connectivity chart 3006 providing dataplane metrics, such as uplink availability and link errors, and acontrol plane connectivity chart 3008 providing control plane metricsfor each device type; an AP analytics user interface element includingan up and down color coded chart 3010 that provides AP statusinformation (e.g., the number of APs connected to the network, and thenumber of APs not connected to the network, etc.) and a top number N ofAPs by client count chart 3012 that provides information about the APsthat have the highest number of clients; a network devices table 3014enabling a user to filter (e.g., by device type, health, or customfilters), view, and export network device information. A detailed viewof the health of each network infrastructure device can also be providedby selecting that network infrastructure device in the network devicestable 3014.

FIG. 3G illustrates a graphical user interface 300G, an example of ascreen for an overview of the health of client devices, which may benavigated to, for instance, by toggling the health overview tool 344.The graphical user interface 300G can include an SSID user interfaceselection element 3016 for viewing the health of wireless clients by allSSIDs or a specific SSID, a band frequency user interface selectionelement 3018 for viewing the health of wireless clients by all bandfrequencies or a specific band frequency (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, etc.),and a time slider 3020 that may operate similarly to the time slider398.

The graphical user interface 300G can also include a client healthsummary user interface element that provides similar information to thatshown in the graphical user interface 300E, such as the number ofhealthy clients as a percentage 384 and a color coded trend chart 386indicating that percentage over a specific time period for each groupingof client devices (e.g., wired/wireless, device type, manufacturer,model, operating system, etc.). In addition, the client health summaryuser interface element can include a color-coded donut chart thatprovides a count of poor (e.g., red and indicating a client health scoreof 1 to 3), fair (e.g., orange and indicating a client health score of 4to 7), good (e.g., green and indicating a health score of 8 to 10), andinactive (e.g., grey and indicating a health score that is null or 0)client devices. The count of client devices associated with each color,health score, health descriptor, and so forth may be displayed by aselection gesture directed toward that color (e.g., tap, double tap,long press, hover, click, right-click, etc.).

The graphical user interface 300G can also include a number of otherclient health metric charts in all sites or a selected site over aspecific time period, such as:

-   -   Client onboarding times 3024;    -   Received Signal Strength Indications (RSSIs) 3026;    -   Connectivity signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) 3028;    -   Client counts per SSID 3030;    -   Client counts per band frequency 3032;    -   DNS requests and response counters (not shown); and    -   Connectivity physical link state information 3034 indicating the        distribution of wired client devices that had their physical        links up, down, and had errors.

In addition, the graphical user interface 300G can include a clientdevices table 3036 enabling a user to filter (e.g., by device type,health, data (e.g., onboarding time>threshold, associationtime>threshold, DHCP>threshold, AAA>threshold, RSSI>threshold, etc.), orcustom filters), view, and export client device information (e.g., useridentifier, hostname, MAC address, IP address, device type, last heard,location, VLAN identifier, SSID, overall health score, onboarding score,connection score, network infrastructure device to which the clientdevice is connected, etc.). A detailed view of the health of each clientdevice can also be provided by selecting that client device in theclient devices table 3036.

FIG. 3H illustrates a graphical user interface 300H, an example of ascreen for an overview of the health of applications, which may benavigated to, for instance, by the toggling the health overview tool344. The graphical user interface 300H can include application healthsummary user interface element including a percentage 3038 of the numberof healthy applications as a percentage, a health score 3040 for eachapplication or type of application (e.g., business relevant, businessirrelevant, default; HTTP, VoIP, chat, email, bulk transfer,multimedia/streaming, etc.) running in the network, a top number N ofapplications by usage chart 3042. The health score 3040 can becalculated based on an application's qualitative metrics, such as packetloss, network latency, and so forth.

In addition, the graphical user interface 300H can also include anapplications table 3044 enabling a user to filter (e.g., by applicationname, domain name, health, usage, average throughput, traffic class,packet loss, network latency, application latency, custom filters,etc.), view, and export application information. A detailed view of thehealth of each application can also be provided by selecting thatapplication in the applications table 3044.

FIG. 3I illustrates an example of a graphical user interface 300I, anexample of a landing screen for the platform functions 210. Thegraphical user interface 300C can include various tools and workflowsfor integrating with other technology systems. In this example, theplatform integration tools and workflows include:

-   -   A bundles tool 3046 for managing packages of domain-specific        APIs, workflows, and other features for network programming and        platform integration;    -   A developer toolkit 3048 for accessing an API catalog listing        the available APIs and methods (e.g., GET, PUT, POST, DELETE,        etc.), descriptions, runtime parameters, return codes, model        schemas, and so forth. In some embodiments, the developer        toolkit 3048 can also include a “Try It” button to permit a        developer to experiment with a particular API to better        understand its behavior;    -   A runtime dashboard 3050 for viewing and analyzing basic metrics        or API and integration flow usage;    -   A platform settings tool 3052 to view and set global or        bundle-specific settings that define integration destinations        and event consumption preferences; and    -   A notifications user interface element 3054 for presenting        notifications regarding the availability of software updates,        security threats, and so forth.

Returning to FIG. 2, the controller layer 220 can comprise subsystemsfor the management layer 220 and may include a network control platform222, a network data platform 224, and AAA services 226. These controllersubsystems can form an abstraction layer to hide the complexities anddependencies of managing many network elements and protocols.

The network control platform 222 can provide automation andorchestration services for the network layer 230 and the physical layer240, and can include the settings, protocols, and tables to automatemanagement of the network and physical layers. For example, the networkcontrol platform 230 can provide the design functions 206, theprovisioning functions 208 212. In addition, the network controlplatform 230 can include tools and workflows for discovering switches,routers, wireless controllers, and other network infrastructure devices(e.g., the network discovery tool 302); maintaining network and endpointdetails, configurations, and software versions (e.g., the inventorymanagement tool 304); Plug-and-Play (PnP) for automating deployment ofnetwork infrastructure (e.g., the network PnP tool 316), Path Trace forcreating visual data paths to accelerate the troubleshooting ofconnectivity problems, Easy QoS for automating quality of service toprioritize applications across the network, and Enterprise ServiceAutomation (ESA) for automating deployment of physical and virtualnetwork services, among others. The network control platform 222 cancommunicate with network elements using Network Configuration(NETCONF)/Yet Another Next Generation (YANG), Simple Network ManagementProtocol (SNMP), Secure Shell (SSH)/Telnet, and so forth. In someembodiments, the Cisco® Network Control Platform (NCP) can operate asthe network control platform 222

The network data platform 224 can provide for network data collection,analytics, and assurance, and may include the settings, protocols, andtables to monitor and analyze network infrastructure and endpointsconnected to the network. The network data platform 224 can collectmultiple types of information from network infrastructure devices,including syslog, SNMP, NetFlow, Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN), andstreaming telemetry, among others. The network data platform 224 canalso collect use contextual information shared from

In some embodiments, one or more Cisco DNA™ Center appliances canprovide the functionalities of the management layer 210, the networkcontrol platform 222, and the network data platform 224. The Cisco DNA™Center appliances can support horizontal scalability by addingadditional Cisco DNA™ Center nodes to an existing cluster; highavailability for both hardware components and software packages; backupand store mechanisms to support disaster discovery scenarios; role-basedaccess control mechanisms for differentiated access to users, devices,and things based on roles and scope; and programmable interfaces toenable integration with third party vendors. The Cisco DNA™ Centerappliances can also be cloud-tethered to provide for the upgrade ofexisting functions and additions of new packages and applicationswithout having to manually download and install them.

The AAA services 226 can provide identity and policy services for thenetwork layer 230 and physical layer 240, and may include the settings,protocols, and tables to support endpoint identification and policyenforcement services. The AAA services 226 can provide tools andworkflows to manage virtual networks and security groups, and to creategroup-based policies and contracts. The AAA services 226 can identifyand profile network infrastructure devices and endpoints usingAAA/RADIUS, 802.1X, MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB), web authentication,and EasyConnect, among others. The AAA services 226 can also collect anduse contextual information from the network control platform 222, thenetwork data platform 224, and the shared services 250, among others. Insome embodiments, Cisco® ISE can provide the AAA services 226.

The network layer 230 can be conceptualized as a composition of twolayers, an underlay 234 comprising physical and virtual networkinfrastructure (e.g., routers, switches, WLCs, etc.) and a Layer 3routing protocol for forwarding traffic, and an overlay 232 comprising avirtual topology for logically connecting wired and wireless users,devices, and things and applying services and policies to theseentities. Network elements of the underlay 234 can establishconnectivity between each other, such as via Internet Protocol (IP). Theunderlay may use any topology and routing protocol.

In some embodiments, the network controller 104 can provide a local areanetwork (LAN) automation service, such as implemented by Cisco DNA™Center LAN Automation, to automatically discover, provision, and deploynetwork devices. Once discovered, the automated underlay provisioningservice can leverage Plug and Play (PnP) to apply the required protocoland network address configurations to the physical networkinfrastructure. In some embodiments, the LAN automation service mayimplement the Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS)protocol. Some of the advantages of IS-IS include neighbor establishmentwithout IP protocol dependencies, peering capability using loopbackaddresses, and agnostic treatment of IPv4, IPv6, and non-IP traffic.

The overlay 232 can be a logical, virtualized topology built on top ofthe physical underlay 234, and can include a fabric data plane, a fabriccontrol plane, and a fabric policy plane. In some embodiments, thefabric data plane can be created via packet encapsulation using VirtualExtensible LAN (VXLAN) with Group Policy Option (GPO). Some of theadvantages of VXLAN-GPO include its support for both Layer 2 and Layer 3virtual topologies (overlays), and its ability to operate over any IPnetwork with built-in network segmentation.

In some embodiments, the fabric control plane can implement Locator/IDSeparation Protocol (LISP) for logically mapping and resolving users,devices, and things. LISP can simplify routing by removing the need foreach router to process every possible IP destination address and route.LISP can achieve this by moving remote destination to a centralized mapdatabase that allows each router to manage only its local routs andquery the map system to locate destination endpoints.

The fabric policy plane is where intent can be translated into networkpolicy. That is, the policy plane is where the network operator caninstantiate logical network policy based on services offered by thenetwork fabric 120 such as security segmentation services, quality ofservice (QoS), capture/copy services, application visibility services,and so forth.

Segmentation is a method or technology used to separate specific groupsof users or devices from other groups for the purpose of reducingcongestion, improving security, containing network problems, controllingaccess, and so forth. As discussed, the fabric data plane can implementVXLAN encapsulation to provide network segmentation by using the virtualnetwork identifier (VNI) and Scalable Group Tag (SGT) fields in packetheaders. The network fabric 120 can support both macro-segmentation andmicro-segmentation. Macro-segmentation logically separates a networktopology into smaller virtual networks by using a unique networkidentifier and separate forwarding tables. This can be instantiated as avirtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance and referred to as avirtual network (VN). That is, a VN is a logical network instance withinthe network fabric 120 defined by a Layer 3 routing domain and canprovide both Layer 2 and Layer 3 services (using the VXLAN VNI toprovide both Layer 2 and Layer 3 segmentation). Micro-segmentationlogically separates user or device groups within a VN, by enforcingsource to destination access control permissions, such as by usingaccess control lists (ACLs). A scalable group is a logical objectidentifier assigned to a group of users, devices, or things in thenetwork fabric 120. It can be used as source and destination classifiersin Scalable Group ACLs (SGACLs). The SGT can be used to provideaddress-agnostic group-based policies.

In some embodiments, the fabric control plane node 110 may implement theLocator/Identifier Separation Protocol (LISP) to communicate with oneanother and with the management cloud 102. Thus, the control plane nodesmay operate a host tracking database, a map server, and a map resolver.The host tracking database can track the endpoints 130 connected to thenetwork fabric 120 and associate the endpoints to the fabric edge nodes126, thereby decoupling an endpoint's identifier (e.g., IP or MACaddress) from its location (e.g., closest router) in the network.

The physical layer 240 can comprise network infrastructure devices, suchas switches and routers 110, 122, 124, and 126 and wireless elements 108and 128 and network appliances, such as the network controllerappliance(s) 104, and the AAA appliance(s) 106.

The shared services layer 250 can provide an interface to externalnetwork services, such as cloud services 252; Domain Name System (DNS),DHCP, IP Address Management (IPAM), and other network address managementservices 254; firewall services 256; Network as a Sensor(Naas)/Encrypted Threat Analytics (ETA) services; and Virtual NetworkFunctions (VNFs) 260; among others. The management layer 202 and/or thecontroller layer 220 can share identity, policy, forwarding information,and so forth via the shared services layer 250 using APIs.

With the above examples of physical and logical architectures ofenterprise networks and example UIs for management thereof, thedisclosure now turns a specific interconnection of a DNAC, a WLC, and anaccess point and methods of provisioning newly installed access points.

FIG. 4 illustrates an interconnection of access points, switches andcontrollers within an enterprise network in accordance with one aspectof the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, setting 400 (which issimplified version of enterprise network 100) includes access point (AP)402, which may also be referred to as old AP 402 or first AP 402. AP 402may be replaced with AP 404, which may also be referred to as new AP 404or second AP 404.

AP 402/404 may be connected to switch 406, which may be, as describedabove with reference to FIG. 1, one or more Cisco® Catalyst switches,Cisco Nexus® switches, Cisco Meraki® MS switches, Cisco® IntegratedServices Routers (ISRs), Cisco® Aggregation Services Routers (ASRs),Cisco® Enterprise Network Compute Systems (ENCS), Cisco® Cloud ServiceVirtual Routers (CSRvs), Cisco Integrated Services Virtual Routers(ISRvs), Cisco Meraki® MX appliances, and/or other Cisco DNA-Ready™devices operating as the fabric nodes 122, 124, and 126.

Switch 406 may communicate with WLC 408 via any known or to be developedcommunication medium (wired or wireless) such as medium 410. WLC 408 maybe the same as one of WLCs 108 of FIG. 1.

WLC 408 in turn communications with DNAC 412, which can be any one ofnetwork control components 102 described above with reference to FIG. 1.DNAC 412 can be accessed via a computing device such as a laptop, amobile handheld device, a tablet, etc. and various UIs may be utilizedto interact with DNAC 412 as described above with reference to FIGS.3A-I.

FIG. 4 also illustrates a database 414. Database 414, as will bedescribed below, is accessible via DNAC 412 and can be used to storeidentification and configuration profiles of all connected APs ofenterprise network 100.

While FIG. 4 illustrates a single AP 402/404 connected to switch 406,the present disclosure is not limited to and there can be multiple APsconnected to a single switch or multiple switches, multiple switchesconnected to a single WLC or multiple WLCs, etc.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example method of automatic provisioning of accesspoints in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 5will be described from the perspective of DNAC 412 (which as mentionedcan be the same as one of network controller components 102 of FIG. 1).It will be appreciated to those having ordinary skill in the art thatDNAC 412 can have one or more memory components on whichcomputer-readable instructions can be stored for execution by one ormore associated processors to carry out the steps of FIG. 4.Furthermore, FIG. 4 may be described with respect to any one of FIGS.1-3I.

In describing FIG. 5 the following example assumptions are made that aparticular discovery protocol such as Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) issupported on APs such as AP 402/404, switch 406, WLC 408, DNAC 412, etc.CDP may be used for discovery of products and components as well astheir associated configuration parameters and profiles, within anenterprise network. This may result in exchange of CDP messages betweencomponents such as AP 402 and WLC 408. Such CDP messages may betransmitted using a Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Pointsprotocol (CAPWAP) tunnel, which is created whenever an AP joins a WLC.The CAPWAP tunnel and transmission of CDP messages therein areillustrated in FIG. 4.

Another assumption for FIG. 5 is that old AP 402 has been connected toand in operation for a while before a decision is made (e.g., by anetwork operator) to replace old AP 402 with new AP 404. Accordingly,old AP 402 may have an existing profile of configurations and parametersthat are stored in database 414 accessible and managed by DNAC 412.

For example, assuming that Old AP 402 has a MAC address ofAAAA.AAAA.AAAA, CDP can be run on WLC 408 as follows to identify APneighbors of WLC 408:

veWLC-4c#sh ap cdp neighbors

CDP then returns the following results, which may be referred to as theidentification profile of AP 402:

Number of neighbors: 1 AP Name AP IP Neighbor Name Neighbor IP NeighborPort AAAA.AAAA.AAAA 172.16.20.21 APSwitch_C4_9 172.16.20.253GigabitEthernet1/0/5

Within the specific example structure of setting 400 of FIG. 4, WLC 408has one neighbor, which is AP 402 (prior to being replaced by AP 404).The result also illustrates specific identification of AP 402 (i.e., APname, AP IP) and its neighbors (i.e., switch 406 to which it isconnected including switch 406's name, IP, port number, etc.).

Furthermore, AP 402 may be associated with the following exemplaryconfiguration profile. Such configuration profile can be specific to AP402 or can be specific to a group of APs that AP 402 is part of:

ap AAAA.AAAA.AAA

policy-tag tp-customer1

site-tag sp-customer1-site

WLC 408 can export the above identification and configuration profilesof AP 402 to DNAC 412 to be stored in an associated database 414 ofenterprise network 100 that is accessible by DNAC 412.

With the above considered, process of FIG. 5 starts when a technicianreplaces old AP 402 with new AP 404. New AP 404 joins enterprise network100 and completes new image upgrade, per any known or to be developedprocess.

At S500, DNAC 412 detects attachment of new AP 404 to enterprise network100. In one example, new AP 404 exchanges CDP messages with WLC 408, asdescribed above, which is then propagated to DNAC 412 by WLC 408. Thisinformation (CDP message) indicates that new AP 404 is now connected toAPSwitch_C4_9/GigabitEthernet1/0/5 just as AP 402 was.

At S502, DNAC 412 determines whether new AP 404 has the same accessinterface as old AP 402. In one example, DNAC 412 may access database414 and query database 412 for profile(s) of old AP 402. Thisdetermination may be based on the CDP message received from WLC 408indicating that new AP 404 is connected to the same switch 406 and portas old AP 402 (i.e., APSwitch_C4_9/GigabitEthernet1/0/5).

If at S502, DNAC 412 determines that new AP 404 does not have the sameaccess interface as old AP 404, DNAC 412 may determine that new AP 404is a newly introduced AP into enterprise network 100 that does notreplace any old AP. Therefore, at S504, DNAC 412 processes attachment ofnew AP 404 to enterprise network 100. Such processing of newlyintroduced AP can include, having a network operator configure the newAP and receiving the, identification and configurations information ofnew AP at DNAC 412 to be stored in database 414 in the same manner asdescribed above with reference to old AP 402.

However, if at S502, DNAC 412 determines that new AP 404 has the sameaccess interface as old AP 402, then at S506, DNAC 412 can searchdatabase 414 to retrieve identification and configuration profiles

At S508, DNAC 412 can provision new AP 404 with retrieved identificationand configuration profiles of old AP 402 by pushing the retrievedidentification and configuration profiles to WLC 408, which would inturn push the retrieved identification and configuration profiles to newAP 406. For example, assuming that the MAC address of new AP 404 isBBBB.BBBB.BBBB, DNAC 412 would push the following configurations to newAP 404:

AP BBBB.BBBB.BBBB

policy-tag tp-customer1

site-tag sp-customer1-site

where the policy-tag and site-tag are the same as those of old AP 402mentioned above.

While the above examples have been described with specific reference toreplacement of old APs with new APs in an enterprise network, thepresent disclosure is not limited thereto and the same automaticconfiguration procedure may be used for replacement of any componentwithin enterprise network 100.

The disclosure now turns to description of device components andarchitectures that can be implemented as any one of AP 402/404, switch406, WLC 408 and/or DNAC 412.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate examples of systems in accordance with oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a bus computing system 600 wherein thecomponents of the system are in electrical communication with each otherusing a bus 605. The computing system 600 can include a processing unit(CPU or processor) 610 and a system bus 605 that may couple varioussystem components including the system memory 615, such as read onlymemory (ROM) 620 and random access memory (RAM) 625, to the processor610. The computing system 600 can include a cache 612 of high-speedmemory connected directly with, in close proximity to, or integrated aspart of the processor 610. The computing system 600 can copy data fromthe memory 615, ROM 620, RAM 625, and/or storage device 630 to the cache612 for quick access by the processor 610. In this way, the cache 612can provide a performance boost that avoids processor delays whilewaiting for data. These and other modules can control the processor 610to perform various actions. Other system memory 615 may be available foruse as well. The memory 615 can include multiple different types ofmemory with different performance characteristics. The processor 610 caninclude any general purpose processor and a hardware module or softwaremodule/services, such as module (SVC) 1 632, module (SVC) 2 634, andmodule (SVC) 3 636 stored in the storage device 630, configured tocontrol the processor 610 as well as a special-purpose processor wheresoftware instructions are incorporated into the actual processor design.The processor 610 may essentially be a completely self-containedcomputing system, containing multiple cores or processors, a bus, memorycontroller, cache, etc. A multi-core processor may be symmetric orasymmetric.

To enable user interaction with the computing system 600, an inputdevice 645 can represent any number of input mechanisms, such as amicrophone for speech, a touch-protected screen for gesture or graphicalinput, keyboard, mouse, motion input, speech and so forth. An outputdevice 635 can also be one or more of a number of output mechanismsknown to those of skill in the art. In some instances, multimodalsystems can enable a user to provide multiple types of input tocommunicate with the computing system 600. The communications interface640 can govern and manage the user input and system output. There may beno restriction on operating on any particular hardware arrangement andtherefore the basic features here may easily be substituted for improvedhardware or firmware arrangements as they are developed.

The storage device 630 can be a non-volatile memory and can be a harddisk or other types of computer readable media which can store data thatare accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memorycards, solid state memory devices, digital versatile disks, cartridges,random access memory, read only memory, and hybrids thereof.

As discussed above, the storage device 630 can include the softwaremodules 632, 634, 635 for controlling the processor 610. Other hardwareor software modules are contemplated. The storage device 630 can beconnected to the system bus 605. In some embodiments, a hardware modulethat performs a particular function can include a software componentstored in a computer-readable medium in connection with the necessaryhardware components, such as the processor 610, bus 605, output device635, and so forth, to carry out the function.

FIG. 6B illustrates an example architecture for a chipset computingsystem 650 that can be used in accordance with an embodiment. Thecomputing system 650 can include a processor 655, representative of anynumber of physically and/or logically distinct resources capable ofexecuting software, firmware, and hardware configured to performidentified computations. The processor 655 can communicate with achipset 650 that can control input to and output from the processor 655.In this example, the chipset 650 can output information to an outputdevice 655, such as a display, and can read and write information tostorage device 670, which can include magnetic media, solid state media,and other suitable storage media. The chipset 650 can also read datafrom and write data to RAM 675. A bridge 680 for interfacing with avariety of user interface components 685 can be provided for interfacingwith the chipset 650. The user interface components 685 can include akeyboard, a microphone, touch detection and processing circuitry, apointing device, such as a mouse, and so on. Inputs to the computingsystem 650 can come from any of a variety of sources, machine generatedand/or human generated.

The chipset 650 can also interface with one or more communicationinterfaces 690 that can have different physical interfaces. Thecommunication interfaces 690 can include interfaces for wired andwireless LANs, for broadband wireless networks, as well as personal areanetworks. Some applications of the methods for generating, displaying,and using the technology disclosed herein can include receiving ordereddatasets over the physical interface or be generated by the machineitself by the processor 655 analyzing data stored in the storage device670 or the RAM 675. Further, the computing system 650 can receive inputsfrom a user via the user interface components 685 and executeappropriate functions, such as browsing functions by interpreting theseinputs using the processor 655.

It will be appreciated that computing systems 600 and 650 can have morethan one processor 610 and 655, respectively, or be part of a group orcluster of computing devices networked together to provide greaterprocessing capability.

For clarity of explanation, in some instances the various embodimentsmay be presented as including individual functional blocks includingfunctional blocks comprising devices, device components, steps orroutines in a method embodied in software, or combinations of hardwareand software.

In some embodiments the computer-readable storage devices, mediums, andmemories can include a cable or wireless signal containing a bit streamand the like. However, when mentioned, non-transitory computer-readablestorage media expressly exclude media such as energy, carrier signals,electromagnetic waves, and signals per se.

Methods according to the above-described examples can be implementedusing computer-executable instructions that are stored or otherwiseavailable from computer readable media. Such instructions can comprise,for example, instructions and data which cause or otherwise configure ageneral purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purposeprocessing device to perform a certain function or group of functions.Portions of computer resources used can be accessible over a network.The computer executable instructions may be, for example, binaries,intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, firmware, orsource code. Examples of computer-readable media that may be used tostore instructions, information used, and/or information created duringmethods according to described examples include magnetic or opticaldisks, flash memory, USB devices provided with non-volatile memory,networked storage devices, and so on.

Devices implementing methods according to these disclosures can comprisehardware, firmware and/or software, and can take any of a variety ofform factors. Some examples of such form factors include general purposecomputing devices such as servers, rack mount devices, desktopcomputers, laptop computers, and so on, or general purpose mobilecomputing devices, such as tablet computers, smart phones, personaldigital assistants, wearable devices, and so on. Functionality describedherein also can be embodied in peripherals or add-in cards. Suchfunctionality can also be implemented on a circuit board among differentchips or different processes executing in a single device, by way offurther example.

The instructions, media for conveying such instructions, computingresources for executing them, and other structures for supporting suchcomputing resources are means for providing the functions described inthese disclosures.

Although a variety of examples and other information was used to explainaspects within the scope of the appended claims, no limitation of theclaims should be implied based on particular features or arrangements insuch examples, as one of ordinary skill would be able to use theseexamples to derive a wide variety of implementations. Further andalthough some subject matter may have been described in languagespecific to examples of structural features and/or method steps, it isto be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claimsis not necessarily limited to these described features or acts. Forexample, such functionality can be distributed differently or performedin components other than those identified herein. Rather, the describedfeatures and steps are disclosed as examples of components of systemsand methods within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: detecting, at anetwork controller, attachment of a first access point to a network;determining whether the first access point is coupled to the networkthrough an access interface utilized in coupling a second access pointto the network; identifying that the first access point is replacing thesecond access point in response to determining that the first accesspoint is coupled to the network through the access interface utilized incoupling the second access point to the network based on an identityprofile for the second access point that is received from the secondaccess point in response to a neighbor discovery protocol request;identifying, by the network controller, a profile of the second accesspoint, the profile including at least one of identification parametersand configuration parameters of the second access point, wherein theprofile is specific to an access point group associated with the secondaccess point; automatically associating the first access point with theaccess point group associated with the second access point; andprovisioning, by the network controller, the first access point with theprofile of the second access point in response to identifying that thefirst access point is replacing the second access point.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein detecting the attachment of the first access pointcomprises: receiving, at the network controller, a discovery protocolmessage indicative of the attachment of the first access point to thenetwork, from a wireless local area network controller (WLC).
 3. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: accessing, by the networkcontroller, a database in which the profile of the second access pointis stored prior to the second access point being replaced by the firstaccess point; and querying, by the network controller, the database toidentify the profile of the second access point.
 4. The method of claim1, wherein the provisioning comprises: pushing, by the networkcontroller, the profile of the second AP to a wireless local areanetwork controller (WLC) to which the first access point is attached. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein the identification parameters of thesecond access point include a MAC address of the second access point, IPaddress of the second access point and neighboring informationidentifying one or more switches to which the second access point isconnected.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configurationparameters include an identification of the second access point, acustomer tag, a policy tag, a site tag and a customer site informationassociated with the second access point.
 7. A network controllercomprising: memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein;and one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readableinstructions to: detect attachment of a first access point to a network;determine whether the first access point is coupled to the networkthrough an access interface utilized in coupling a second access pointto the network; identify that the first access point is replacing thesecond access point in response to determining that the first accesspoint is coupled to the network through the access interface utilized incoupling the second access point to the network based on an identityprofile for the second access point that is received from the secondaccess point in response to a neighbor discovery protocol request;identify a profile of the second access point the profile including atleast one of identification parameters and configuration parameters ofthe second access point, wherein the profile is specific to an accesspoint group associated with the second access point; automaticallyassociate the first access point with the access point group associatedwith the second access point; and provision the first access point withthe profile of the second access point in response to identifying thatthe first access point is replacing the second access point.
 8. Thenetwork controller of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors arefurther configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:receive a discovery protocol message indicative of the attachment of thefirst access point to the network, from a wireless local area networkcontroller (WLC); and detect the attachment upon receiving the discoveryprotocol message.
 9. The network controller of claim 7, wherein the oneor more processors are further configured to execute thecomputer-readable instructions to: access a database in which theprofile of the second access point is stored prior to the second accesspoint being replaced by the first access point; and query the databaseto identify the profile of the second access point.
 10. The networkcontroller of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are furtherconfigured to execute the computer-readable instructions to provisionthe first access point by pushing the profile of the second AP to awireless local area network controller (WLC) to which the first accesspoint is attached.
 11. The network controller of claim 7, wherein theidentification parameters of the second access point include a MACaddress of the second access point, IP address of the second accesspoint and neighboring information identifying one or more switches towhich the second access point is connected.
 12. The network controllerof claim 7, wherein the configuration parameters include anidentification of the second access point, a customer tag, a policy tag,a site tag and a customer site information associated with the secondaccess point.
 13. The network controller of claim 7, wherein the networkcontroller is a dynamic network access controller of an enterprisenetwork in which the second access point is replaced with the firstaccess point.
 14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediacomprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one ormore processors, cause the one or more processors to: detect attachmentof a first access point to a network; determine whether the first accesspoint is coupled to the network through an access interface utilized incoupling a second access point to the network; identify that the firstaccess point is replacing the second access point in response todetermining that the first access point is coupled to the networkthrough the access interface utilized in coupling the second accesspoint to the network based on an identity profile for the second accesspoint that is received from the second access point in response to aneighbor discovery protocol request; identify a profile of the secondaccess point, the profile including at least one of identificationparameters and configuration parameters of the second access point,wherein the profile is specific to an access point group associated withthe second access point; automatically associate the first access pointwith the access point group associated with the second access point; andprovision the first access point with the profile of the second accesspoint in response to identifying that the first access point isreplacing the second access point.
 15. The one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the execution of thecomputer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, furthercause the one or more processors to: receive a discovery protocolmessage indicative of the attachment of the first access point to thenetwork, from a wireless local area network controller (WLC); and detectthe attachment upon receiving the discovery protocol message.
 16. Theone or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, whereinthe execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or moreprocessors, further cause the one or more processors to: access adatabase in which the profile of the second access point is stored priorto the second access point being replaced by the first access point; andquery the database to identify the profile of the second access point.17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14,wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the oneor more processors, cause the one or more processors to provision thefirst access point by pushing the profile of the second AP to a wirelesslocal area network controller (WLC) to which the first access point isattached.
 18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media ofclaim 14, wherein the identification parameters of the second accesspoint include a MAC address of the second access point, IP address ofthe second access point and neighboring information identifying one ormore switches to which the second access point is connected.
 19. The oneor more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein theconfiguration parameters include an identification of the second accesspoint, a customer tag, a policy tag, a site tag and a customer siteinformation associated with the second access point.